Stories
10 Greatest Emergency Landings Where Pilots Soared Through Turbulent Times
- •Captain Smit Machchhar prevented a disaster on Flydubai Flight FZ1073 by unlocking the cockpit door despite being severely stabbed and incapacitated by his co-pilot.
- •US Airways Flight 1549 saw Captain Sully Sullenberger successfully land an Airbus A320 on the Hudson River in 2009, saving all 155 people on board.
- •Air Canada Flight 143, known as the Gimli Glider, safely landed without fuel on a decommissioned military runway in 1983 following a metric conversion error.
- •DHL Flight in 2003 successfully landed in Baghdad using only engine thrust vectoring after a missile strike destroyed all flight controls.
- •Ten historic aviation emergencies highlight incredible pilot skill, saving thousands of lives through extraordinary emergency landings.
Key Questions Answered
While flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot who attempted to crash the Boeing 737 MAX 8 during a violent dive. Severely wounded, Captain Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to subdue the attacker before off-duty pilots landed the plane safely.
Despite being severely stabbed and bleeding on the cockpit floor, Captain Machchhar used his remaining strength to reach the electronic cockpit door release switch. This allowed passengers and cabin crew to forcefully open the door, subdue the attacking co-pilot, and let two off-duty Flydubai pilots safely land the aircraft.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heavily praised Captain Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery in averting a disaster. Prime Minister Modi also spoke directly to Captain Machchhar's family members to applaud his actions.
